Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-01
@ai11R eagle
GYPSIES IN BUFFALO.
LUXURIOUS NOMADS WHO OWN THE
SWAY OF AN AMERICAN QUEEN.

LUXURIOUS NOMADS WHO OWN THE
SWAY OF AN AMERICAN QUEEN.
Royalty Unquestioned in Republicans
teresting Visit to the People who Build
No Cities-How They Live During the
Winter.
ooh. you don't want to say anything about
Ms We are not in the show business, ana
don't want to be doomed in the newspapers,
nor politicians looking for great fame or
hOnors; neither are we as bad as some I'M
agine, and do not deserve the notorlety that
is sometimes put upon our race by those who
know little or nothing about us"
The speaker was William Broadway, son
of Uncle John Broadway, the venerable coun-
sellor of one of the leading gypsy tribes In
America, which is represented in Buffalo by
several families that always spend their WIN
tiers here The Broadways live in Folsom
street in a story and q half house that they
rent for the season. There are other gypsy
families belonging to other tribes living at
Cold Springs, the Hydraulics and Black
Rock, but the Broadways, including the Har-
risons and Smalls, who all belong to one
tribe, are generally recognized as the more
cultured and respected and better educated OF
the gypsy race.
THE REAL AND THE BOGUS.
"There are gypsies and gypsies," said
Broadway, wien finally persuaded to talk
about his people, "and there is just as much
difference between the real and the bogus va
rieties as there is between a decent and re-
spectacle tourist and a rowdy, thievish
tramp The trouble is that people sometimes
confound the two, and the good suffer with
the prejudice created by the bad. Some of
these nomads that travel around in the guise
of gipsies are not gypsies at all. but merely
cheap impostors who bring our race into dis
grace We sometimes run across them in our
travels, but we never associate with them.
You will see red headed and light complex
toned people among them, which is a sure
sign that they are not gypsies, because the
real gypsy is swarthy hued, black eyed and
with black hair, and his veins are filled with
the pure and unadulterated blood Of our
Egyptian ancestors.
u can tell a true gypsy at glance, commu-
nicate with him by signs that are Ineligible
only among ourselves, and converse with him
in pure Egyptian. Most of our tribe are also
Free Masons and recognized the world
over We have our family records by
which we are able to trace our pedigree
back to the ancient days of our race, and
there is much in our forms, customs and be-
lief, preserved in their original purity, that
deserves respect and of which we are proud.
The fundamental principles of our race, re-
igiouSy observed as they are, encourage the
highest type of morality among US, and as a
result you never hear of a gypsy who gets
drunk, or is profane, or charged with adul-
terry, abandonment, seduction or any of the
low things 50 common to the age The family
relations of true gypsies are of the happiest
nature and the ties of relationship the closest.
We provide for our own sick, and we have no
paupers.'
OLDEST GYPSY QUEEN.
"Tberc is no queen of the gypsies in the
United States in the sense that she rules over
all in America" said Broadway. "There are
several tribes in this country, each having its
own queen and king. The tribe referred to
in dispatch is different from ours, just as one
tribe Of Indians would differ from another,
though related in race. Our tribe is one of
tho Oldest and our queen 10 alive, and white
haired woman who is well advanced in years,
and whom we expect to have among us for
many years to come. In the fall of each year,
when we settle in our winter quarters in the
cities, our queen goes back to England and
returns again in spring. She is the oldest
gypsy queen now in the world alive and has
reigned longer than any of her predecessors
SLOW does she lookg"
swell, suppose you have the picture of q
decrepit old woman in your mind, having
pinched and wrinkled features, shriveled in
form and bearing out the accepted idea of
witch. But she looks altogether different.
Our queen is well preserved, little above the
average height, with kindly features and
glorious black eyes, while her hair is like the
foam of your Niagara. She travels with us
during the summer, and is adored by young
and old wherever we go. We are proud Of
our queen, for she is as good as she is beauti-
full. She returns to this country in about
two months"
The family wagons of the several families
belonging to the gypsy tribe of which Broad
way is a member are stored in Taylor's man.
moth warehouse on Seneca street The We
hicles are curioSities in their way and quite
ornamental in construction. The handsomest
car or wagon is that of Uncle John Broad
way, and Is very costly affair. Its inte-
rior is fitted up in oriental splendor, with rich
gilt carvings and inlaid wood designs, and is
sumptuously upholstered. The accommoda.
tions are arranged somewhat after the plan
OF Pullman sleeping coach. Large plate
glass windows swinging OH hinges and pro
vided with heavy raw silk curtains, are on
the sides, and a stained glass window orna-
ments the rear. These wagons, of which
there are five, are for the women and chill
dren The kitchen utensils are carried under
the wagons. and all the cooking is done in
the open air. The temperate, sanitary, out
door life of these people is conducive tn
good health, and sickness among them while
On their travels is an unusual thing. In Buff
falO there are at present about 100 gypsy
families in winter quarters, and every tribe
IN the United States is represented About
Nay the annual summer hegira will begin
and tine tour generally lasts until about the
latter part of October-Bufralo News.
Look Out for Your Wells
1t becomes more and more evident each
year that much of the sickness prevalent in
the country is directly attributable to the